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I'll start the Monday of the week before- menu, making sure I have everything, writing out a preparation and cooking schedule. The weekend before I bring out my nice serving dishes and servingware and my heating trays. Then Monday I start food prep and cooking.

I start 3 days before. I make the pumpkin puree and decorate. the day before I make the salad tray, pies, and casseroles. The day of all I usually have to do is stuff and bake the turkey, make the cranberry sauce, gravy and mashed potatoes.

We buy the food about 4 days before .. That way we have everything we need. I also start baking stuff the day before for the fact of my oven is so small it literally only holds one pan. We deep fry our turkey ..

Decorating I leave that up to my 17 yr old. She loves it so I let her mess with it .. LOL

Dh handles the turkey. He puts it in the smoker in the morning. We eat about 2:00 usually.
I make about 15 lbs of mashed potatoes, so i peel the night before and soak them overnight in a covered pot. All i have to do is turn the burner on.
I make pumpkin cheesecake the morning of.

Everything else is brought over. We make it potluck. It's so much easier on who ever is hosting. Plus most people in my family have a signature dish.

We set up tables and chairs in the morning. Thanksgiving is not fancy in our house. I don't even own enough dishes for 30 people, so we seriously use those big oval Chinet plates. Mil's idea. Holidays are about family, not doing dishes.

Start buying non perishables now if you happen to see them go on sale, get the turkey(frozen) as soon as it goes on sale or fresh 4-5 days before max. I get a nice bowl and some floral foam and make a centerpiece with flowers from the market. Have the kids each make name placeholders for everyone (keeps them busy while your prepping and adds a nice touch to a place setting) anything you can prepare the day before DO IT, seriously your stove probably only has 4 burners. Stuffing, green bean casserole(dont add the onions on top until right before serving), candied sweet potatos, mashed potatos, pies, can all be made beforehand and then heated up in the oven quickly. Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving so it has time to absorb all those yummy juices. I've been hosting Thanksgiving for 9 years now, so I learned all of this the hard way haha

I start 3 days before. I make the pumpkin puree and decorate. the day before I make the salad tray, pies, and casseroles. The day of all I usually have to do is stuff and bake the turkey, make the cranberry sauce, gravy and mashed potatoes.

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